For both schools, the move should come with long-term financial gain. The Big Ten reportedly paid its members $24.6 million in shared television and media rights revenues this year.
There will be some financial matters to resolve in the short term though. After the ACC added Notre Dame as a member in all sports but football and hockey in September, the league voted to raise the exit fee to $50 million. Maryland was one of two schools that voted against the increased exit fee.
Loh believes the potential financial gain of this deal will more than offset the sum.
"I say we have an arrangement within our membership that will assure the future of Maryland athletics for decades to come," he said. "As we crunched those numbers, we are able to deal with this issue."
The Big East's exit fee is $10 million, but the league also requires a 27-month notification period for departing members. That means Rutgers will not be able to join the Big Ten until 2015 without working out some kind of deal with the Big East.
Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia have all negotiated early withdrawals from the Big East in the past year.
The ACC could now be in the market for another member and it would not be surprising if it looks to the Big East, yet again. Connecticut would seem a perfect fit after Pitt and Syracuse join next season.
The Big Ten added Nebraska in 2010 to go to 12 members, and Delany had given every indication that the conference was happy to stay at that number. The conference had given no indication it was in the expansion market, and not until the last few days did it come to light, surprising many in intercollegiate athletics.
The question now is whether this sparks more realignment from conferences that weren't even affected.
For now, though, Maryland is the latest school to forsake tradition for a financial windfall. The Terps have mostly been a middling football program for several decades, but Anderson is certain that the additional money will help.
"We believe that with recruiting, and the continued improvement of the team, we will take on the Big Ten and be very competitive," Anderson said.
___
AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo in New York contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reader Comments (